Fu Zhu (Tofu Skin): What It Is, How to Soak and Cook It

What is fu zhu?

When soy milk is kept hot without boiling, a thin skin forms on top. Lift it off, dry it, and you have tofu skin. Folded and dried into long rods it is fu zhu (腐竹, "tofu bamboo"); dried flat it is fu pei (腐皮), the bean curd sheet. In Cantonese it is fu chuk or foo chuk, in Malaysia fucuk or fuchuk, in Japan yuba.

Sticks or sheets?

• Sticks (fu zhu, fucuk kering): chewy and meaty after soaking. For braises, stir-fries, soups, hot pot and desserts.
• Sheets (fu pei): thin and soft. For dim sum rolls, wraps, and desserts where you want the yuba to melt.

For a creamy fu chuk yi mai, ask your grocer for the sheet type that dissolves after an hour or two of cooking, as in my ginkgo barley dessert.

How to buy it

Packs of dried fucuk are in Chinese grocers, wet market dry-goods stalls and supermarkets. Choose an even, pale yellow colour, sticks that are whole and snap cleanly, and a clean soy smell. Leave packs that look damp or dark or smell sour or oily.

How to soak it

1. Sticks: break into pieces if you like, cover with cold water and soak 4 to 8 hours, or overnight in the fridge. Warm (not hot) water takes about 1 to 2 hours. Hot water softens the outside before the middle, so it cooks unevenly.
2. They are ready when there is no hard white core when you bend one.
3. Sheets: dip in warm water for a few minutes, or wipe with a damp cloth if you will roll them.
4. Squeeze out the water before stir-frying so the oil does not spit.

How to cook it

• Fu chuk yi mai: the classic Cantonese tong sui with barley and ginkgo nuts (my mother's recipe, linked above).
• Fucuk goreng: fry the dried sticks straight from the pack until they puff and crisp, or fry soaked pieces until golden. Good with sambal, as in sambal fucuk tauhu.
• Sayur fucuk masak lemak: soaked fucuk with vegetables in a coconut-milk gravy.
• Braised with chicken and mushrooms: fu zhu soaks up the sauce like meat does; add it for the last 15 minutes.
• Hot pot and soup noodles: a must-have in hot pot, where it takes up the soup; it also works in my tomato beef noodle soup.
• Cold salad (凉拌腐竹): blanch soaked fu zhu, then toss with sesame oil, black vinegar, garlic and chili.
• Dim sum rolls (fu pei guen): wrap prawns and vegetables in a sheet and pan-fry or steam. A dim sum classic, like my salad prawn.

How to store it

Dried: airtight, cool, dry and dark; it keeps for months. Soaked: use the same day, or keep it in water in the fridge for up to 2 days, changing the water daily.

Questions

What is fu zhu in English?

Tofu skin, also called bean curd stick (the dried rods) or bean curd sheet (the flat kind). Yuba is the Japanese name.

Is fucuk the same as fu zhu?

Yes. Fucuk and fuchuk are the Malaysian spellings; fu chuk and foo chuk are Cantonese; fu zhu is Mandarin.

How long do you soak fu zhu?

4 to 8 hours in cold water, or overnight in the fridge. Sheets need only a few minutes.

Can you eat fu zhu without cooking?

Cook it first. Even for a cold salad, blanch the soaked fu zhu before you dress it. The fresh yuba eaten raw in Japan is a different, fresh product.

Is fu zhu high in protein?

Yes. It is made of soy protein from the soy milk, so dried fu zhu is far richer in protein than tofu by weight.